Formula 1: Mid Term Reports

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Average grid positions
08 July 2010

In accordance with statistics compiled by GPUpdate.net, Sebastian Vettel was officially the fastest qualifier at the first nine events of the 2010 season; in fact, heading into Silverstone this weekend, the German is yet to start a Grand Prix outside the top three positions.


Average grid positions, Bahrain-Europe:


P2 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault
P3 Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault
P6 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes
P7 Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes
P7 Robert Kubica, Renault
P7 Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
P8 Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
P8 Felipe Massa, Ferrari
P9 Michael Schumacher, Mercedes  
P10 Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes

---------------Q1 Cut-off position---------------

P11 Rubens Barrichello, Williams-Cosworth
P12 Nico Hülkenberg, Williams-Cosworth
P13 Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes
P13 Sébastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari
P14 Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber-Ferrari
P14 Vitaly Petrov, Renault
P14 Pedro de la Rosa, Sauber-Ferrari
P16 Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari

---------------Q2 Cut-off position---------------

P19 Jarno Trulli, Lotus-Cosworth
P19 Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus-Cosworth
P20 Timo Glock, Virgin-Cosworth
P22 Lucas di Grassi, Virgin-Cosworth
P23 Bruno Senna, Hispania-Cosworth
P24 Karun Chandhok, Hispania-Cosworth



GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Average race finishing positions
08 July 2010

To conclude GPUpdate.net’s Half-Term Reports between the European and British Grands Prix, it is official that World Champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton plus Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg are officially, on average, the highest-placed race finishers so far this year.


Average race finishing positions, Bahrain-Europe:


P6 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes
P6 Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes
P6 Robert Kubica, Renault
P6 Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
P7 Fernando Alonso, Ferrari
P7 Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault
P7 Felipe Massa, Ferrari
P8 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault
P10 Adrian Sutil, Force India-Mercedes
P11 Michael Schumacher, Mercedes
P12 Rubens Barrichello, Williams-Cosworth
P12 Jaime Alguersuari, Toro Rosso-Ferrari
P15 Vitantonio Liuzzi, Force India-Mercedes
P17 Sébastien Buemi, Toro Rosso-Ferrari
P17 Nico Hülkenberg, Williams-Cosworth
P18 Vitaly Petrov, Renault
P19 Kamui Kobayashi, Sauber-Ferrari
P19 Heikki Kovalainen, Lotus-Cosworth
P20 Pedro de la Rosa, Sauber-Ferrari
P20 Lucas di Grassi, Virgin-Cosworth
P20 Karun Chandhok, Hispania-Cosworth
P21 Jarno Trulli, Lotus-Cosworth
P22 Timo Glock, Virgin-Cosworth
P22 Bruno Senna, Hispania-Cosworth


Note: A race retirement is considered as 24th position


Courtesy of:   gpupdate.net

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Adrian Sutil
06 July 2010

Halfway through Lap 26 of the British Grand Prix will mark the central point of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Before visiting a new-look Silverstone, GPUpdate.net reviews each driver’s performances, including highs and lows, from the first nine races of a highly dramatic championship.
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A solid first half to the season for Adrian, who has scored sufficient points to rank in the top ten of the Drivers’ Championship despite a bit of a shaky start. Impressively, in a team which was a tail-ender just two years ago, Sutil has qualified outside the top ten only twice so far this year and in Malaysia started as high up as a brilliant fourth.



The races have been more variable although the German, one of six drivers in the field from his country, has still managed to score in two thirds of the Grands Prix so far; it could have been all of them, though, had it not been for a Turn 2 spin (blinded by smoke from Webber’s car) in Bahrain or an engine failure in Australia. China was also close but no cigar, as he came home just a second away from another point.

Nevertheless, Sutil has already racked up a total of 31, which is more than a race win’s amount, and Force India is comfortably ahead of Williams and sixth in the constructors’ battle. Indeed, the fact that the Silverstone outfit is disappointed to be behind fifth-placed Renault just gives you an idea of the mood there – determined, to say the least, and squad originally known as Jordan possesses one of F1’s best examples of teamwork.

Sutil has not covered himself in glory but instead gets on with his job in a typically unobtrusive fashion. Importantly, we’ve seen him staying out of trouble for most of the season, whereas on previous occasions we all too often saw a front wing flying off. So, in brief, a very respectable and promising start to the campaign.

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Highlight: After starting from a great 4th place, defends from 2008 Champion Hamilton to hold onto a top five result in the closing stages at Sepang

Lowlight: Loses good points in Montreal after swipe from Kubica’s Renault punctures right-rear tyre – later manages to pick up 10th

Championship position:10th (96 points off lead) 

Grid positions: 10-10-4-10-11-12-11-9-13
Average grid position: 10th

Finishing positions: 12-R-5-11-7-8-9-10-6
Average finishing position: 10th

Retirements: 1 (Australia – engine runs on four cylinders before losing power)

_{Courtesy of:   gpupdate.net}

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Fernando Alonso
07 July 2010

Halfway through Lap 26 of the British Grand Prix will mark the central point of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Before visiting a new-look Silverstone, GPUpdate.net reviews each driver’s performances, including highs and lows, from the first nine races of a highly dramatic championship.
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What to make of this, then? Let’s backtrack a bit. Double Champion with Renault before enduring a (mostly self-induced) difficult year with McLaren. Two more seasons yield little, on the whole, at Renault but tipped by many – not least some in the GPUpdate office – as Champion for 2010.



It’s not quite worked out as Fernando expected, has it? Having said that, though, he’s always remained in touch despite a catalogue of misfortunes…and it seems strange to be able to say that about Ferrari. Raw pace has been lacking at most races since the expected win in Bahrain and technical problems such as those in Malaysia certainly don’t help, either.

Alonso has made a number of driving errors, though; he got himself involved in the first-corner chaos in Melbourne, spun in qualifying at Sepang, jumped the start and duly picked up a penalty in Shanghai, missed Monte-Carlo qualifying due to writing off his chassis in practice and was eliminated in Q2 qualifying after running wide in Istanbul.

On the other hand, we’ve seen some typical Alonso comeback drives and the Oviedo man remains perhaps the only man in the field who can drive every single lap of a race on the absolutely limit, usually minus the mistakes.

After nine events he’s 29 points behind but, if Ferrari can get their act together and keep up with the general development pace, a title challenge is still more than possible.

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Highlight: Commanding performance in Bahrain to record, after erstwhile leader Vettel’s issues, a triumphant victory in his first race for Ferrari

Lowlight: Furiously labels the race ‘manipulated’ after old rival Hamilton passes the Safety Car in Valencia

Championship position: 5th (29 points off lead)

Grid positions: 3-3-19-3-4-24-12-3-4

Average grid position: 8th

Finishing positions: 1-4-R-4-2-6-8-3-8

Average finishing position: 7th

Retirements: 1 (Malaysia – race-long gearbox problem results in miserable afternoon which is compounded by engine failure whilst chasing Button)


Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Rubens Barrichello
07 July 2010

Halfway through Lap 26 of the British Grand Prix will mark the central point of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Before visiting a new-look Silverstone, GPUpdate.net reviews each driver’s performances, including highs and lows, from the first nine races of a highly dramatic championship.
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If any racing driver’s career has experienced a highly dramatic roller-coaster ride over recent years, surely it’s Rubens Barrichello’s. After driving a winning Ferrari and finishing as championship runner-up in 2004, the Brazilian suffered a miserable 2005 but satisfactory first Honda season in 2006. Then came two comparably disastrous seasons in 2007 and 2008 followed by a title attack with Brawn in 2009. After half of 2010, he sits 11th in the standings.



Having battled on-track with Williams for much of his career, Barrichello is now part of the team which gave hero Ayrton Senna his first F1 test. Although the Grove squad may have competed in 100 races since last winning, a marked improvement was seen in Valencia as both cars ran consistently in the top ten for the majority of the weekend.

There have been bad moments for Barrichello as well, such as starting 17th on the grid in Barcelona, although even then Rubens was able to make best use of his vast experience by converting bad into good and climbing to ninth in the race. However, more consistency is now vital as Force India has become a new Williams midfield rival and Toro Rosso is carrying a slightly worrying amount of momentum at present.

Barrichello has picked up points in four of the first nine Grands Prix this year and the Paulista will now hope to make the top ten a regular hunting ground.

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Highlight: Sets an example by, after qualifying in a much improved 9th, driving to a composed 4th place in Valencia

Lowlight: Taken out by heavy accident which is caused by loose drain cover in Monte-Carlo…then throws steering wheel into path of Chandhok’s Hispania

Championship position: 11th (108 points off lead)

Grid positions: 11-8-7-11-17-9-15-11-9
Average grid position: 11th

Finishing positions: 10-8-12-12-9-R-14-14-4
Average finishing position: 12th

Retirements: 1 – (Monaco – Whilst running 10th and heading for a point, suspension breaks after underside of car hits unfastened drain cover)


_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Sebastian Vettel
08 July 2010

Halfway through Lap 26 of the British Grand Prix will mark the central point of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Before visiting a new-look Silverstone, GPUpdate.net reviews each driver’s performances, including highs and lows, from the first nine races of a highly dramatic championship.
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Tipped by many as a championship favourite before the season began, Sebastian very much remains a championship favourite halfway through. We’ve seen some quite exemplary driving by the young German so far, not least six front row starts from nine races – in fact, he’s yet to qualify outside the top three this year!



However, Vettel’s average finishing position is surprisingly eighth, hindered by costly retirements which mean he does not lead the standings after nine rounds. Having said that, rivals have also experienced similar moments although certain spark plugs and wheel nuts may come back to haunt Red Bull, come the end of the year…

Certainly, the collision with Mark Webber in Turkey was completely unnecessary and Sebastian, who was challenging his team-mate, was the big loser. After that moment, both in the immediate aftermath and in later interviews, we saw the arrogant, selfish side of Sebastian Vettel although these characteristics have been shared by a number of World Champions and are often the reasons people employ them.

Generally, though, Vettel remains highly popular with both the media and fans, being just as cooperative off the track as rapid as he is on it. One only needs to play back his Australian Grand Prix pole position lap to appreciate the incredible commitment applied by the man who turned 23 on Saturday and may well be Germany’s second F1 Champion in just over five months’ time.

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Highlight: Crucial win in Valencia ensures return to top three in championship, having taken victory on a track where rivals were expected to be quicker

Lowlight: Over-opportunistic move results in highly embarrassing retirement by coming together with team-mate Webber whilst battling for lead in Istanbul

Championship position: 3rd (12 points off lead)

Grid positions: 1-1-3-1-2-3-3-2-1
Average grid position: 2nd

Finishing positions: 4-R-1-6-3-2-R-4-1
Average finishing position: 8th

Retirements: 2 – (Australia – Loose left-front wheel nut ends chances of victory at Turn 13, Turkey – outrageously collides with team-mate Webber)


_{Courtesy of:  gpupdate.net}

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GPUpdate Half-Term Report: Lewis Hamilton
08 July 2010

Halfway through Lap 26 of the British Grand Prix will mark the central point of the 2010 Formula 1 season. Before visiting a new-look Silverstone, GPUpdate.net reviews each driver’s performances, including highs and lows, from the first nine races of a highly dramatic championship.
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It’s not been the easiest route to the top of the World Championship standings although nothing ever does seem to be easy for British sportsmen, does it? After reaching the highest high by picking up the title in 2008 after taking the F1 scene by storm the previous year, 2009 was a comparative disaster for Lewis.



However, that’s not been the case in 2010 and McLaren have proven their incredibly rapid rate of development once again by managing to steal pole position from Red Bull in Canada, despite being over a full second off the leading pace back in Bahrain.

The reason it’s Lewis and not team-mate Button or a Red Bull driver leading the way is that he’s generally been best in damage limitation thus far, such as being the closest behind the Ferrari 1-2 at Sakhir or managing to hold onto second despite his drive-through penalty in Valencia. It’s a new, calmer Lewis Hamilton than previously.

If it wasn’t for moments such as the collision with Webber in Melbourne or wheel rim failure in Barcelona, the Stevenage man could be even further ahead although everybody has run into trouble at least once this season. Starting ahead of Red Bull, Alonso and of course Button could be key, though, when it comes to retaining the upper hand in the second half of the year.

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Highlight: Delighted to be reminded of 2007 by clinching second victory in Canadian Grand Prix following the confusion of McLaren’s tactics in Turkey

Lowlight: Taken out by left-front wheel rim failure whilst running 2nd on penultimate lap in Barcelona

Championship position: 1st (127 / 225 points)

Grid positions: 4-11-20-6-3-5-2-1-3
Average grid position: 6th

Finishing positions: 3-6-6-2-R-5-1-1-2
Average finishing position: 6th

Retirements: 1 – (Spain – While on Lap 65 of 66, left-front wheel rim failure results in trip through gravel, collision with tyre barriers and a lost 2nd place)